


Songs for the FLight

by Aegon



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: F/F, FangRai, One Shot Collection, flight, listen this is old as shit and I don't feel like editing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23662405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aegon/pseuds/Aegon
Summary: A small collection of unconnected one-shots. Could be set in-game, post-game, AU, whatever.Due to a few requests, I'm reposting this from over on FF.Originally posted in 2011
Relationships: Lightning/Oerba Yun Fang
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	1. In the Next Room

**Author's Note:**

> An old one shot collection I originally put on ff.net.  
> Had a couple of requests asked if I'd move it over here, and I don't see why not.  
> Fair warning, the only editing I'm doing is to remove those cringy 2011 author notes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the Next Room - Neon Trees

Holy Etro, would it really kill her to get a new hobby?  
Fang grabbed her pillow from under her head and clasped it over her ears, hoping to shut out the intimate noises coming from her roommate's bedroom.  
Her hope was a vain one she realized, as Lightning only grew more vocal. Almost as if she knew of the Oerban's desire for sleep, and was purposefully denying it to her.

  
'That would be just like you, wouldn't it Sunshine? Cold, devious, and spiteful. How long can you hold a grudge?'  
A long time it would seem. It had been over a month since Fang had accidentally scared off the soldier's date. It’s not like Fang had planned on coming home from her hunt covered in behemoth blood, but the bastard had broken off one end of her lance in its hide, and there was no way Fang was going home without the blades. She didn't have the gil to be ordering new ones, and it hadn't really seemed like such a hassle at the time. And being with the Guardian Corps, she expected him to have a better stomach than that.  
________________________________________

  
_Bone tired and wanting only a hot bath and a glass of wine, Fang made her way up the path to the house she shared with Sergeant Lighting Farron. The battle with the behemoth had taken longer that she expected, and that put her in a sour mood._

_The huntress thought sadly of the splintered staff strapped to her back, already groaning about the amount of time she would have to spend carving a new handle, and the effort it would take to reattach the blades. All for a few lousy teeth.  
She glared at the canines in question. Losing her favorite spear for two fangs (and one of the damn things was chipped! That might have happened when she proceeded to beat the beast with the remnants of her staff, but that was beside the point) was hardly worth the effort.  
A scowl replaced her trademark smirk as the huntress decided that the wine definitely came first._

_Walking into her home, she shut the door a tad harder than was necessary, before leaning the components of her broken weapon against the door of the basement. She would have to take them down later to start working on a replacement, but that would wait until after a glass of red wine and a long bath. Turning, she caught her already bruised shoulder on the corner and silently amended that thought to a bottle of red wine. A bottle of red wine as sour as her mood._

_Storming into the kitchen, Fang swiftly made her way to the cupboard and pulled out a glass, and bottle of her favorite port. Cursing as she opened and slammed drawers in search of the ever-elusive bottle opener, her mood only grew worse. Finally retrieving the metal device, she then spent a good six minutes trying (and failing) to make the thing remove the cork standing in the way of her stress relief. After only breaking apart the cork and vocalizing her hatred of the Cocoon-made devise made only to infuriate her, she finally gave up and grabbed the large butcher knife from the block and successfully breaking off the upper part of the bottle neck.  
The first glass went down quickly, as did the second. As she poured a third, she cast her glare back down on the teeth that had caused the day full of misery._

_Half-way through this glass, Fang had finally calmed down enough register that she was not alone in the kitchen. Expecting her roommate, she sighed and closed her eyes before turning to face her companion.  
"Look Sunshine, I already know what you’re going to say, 'don't take your anger out on the house just becau….' she stopped when her roommate let out an undignified whimper. Fang opened her eyes._

_It was not her roommate in front of her._

_Cowering in one of the dining set chairs, was a small, rather mousy looking man looking up at her the same way a sheep would look upon the gorgonsipod that was about to make it into lunch. Although, he might have only looked that way due to the way he had forced his way into the fetal position. Looking down at herself, it was as if she was only just noticing the gore that covered most of her body.  
Then she realized just how little she cared, before looking back up the stranger in her kitchen and taking another drink of her wine.  
This must have been the date Light had mentioned earlier that week, some other member of the G.C. A corporal if she remembered correctly, and the pauldron on his shoulder confirmed the thought._

_Neither said a word. Fang had locked eyes with the man and he looked too terrified to break the link without her expressed permission.  
The Oerban finished her glass and refilled it without breaking eye contact. The seconds ticked by, feeling like hours. The corporal began to tremble._

_Finally, the other occupant of the house found her way to the kitchen. "Alright Todd, I'm ready to he…." she stopped at the sight before her. Her date was sitting, no, cowering in a chair, eyes wide as saucers at the sight in front of him. Casting a glance to the right, Lightning saw a tall, blood-encrusted Pulsian standing at the kitchen island with a broken wine bottle and two behemoth fangs in front of her, glass in hand and glowering at fearful solider.  
Letting out a sigh, the sergeant moved the block Fang's line of sight, and hopefully shake the poor man out of his stupor. "Todd, we should probably go now if we're going to make the movie." She spoke as though it were a common occurrence to find a beautiful, gore-coated, Amazon drinking wine in the kitchen. For all Todd knew, it was._

_The still shaking man finally responded after some time. "You know what, I think we should postpone 'till another night. I'm suddenly not feeling so hot." With that, he moved to get up off the chair and leave the kitchen. He could feel the fiery green eyes of the dark woman upon him as he left.  
Both women heard as his steps picked up speed until he practically ran out of the house, not even closing the front door all the way.  
Lightning turned towards her roommate, eyes suddenly colder than usual and a scowl plastered on her face. Fang returned the stare with a smirk and finished off her fourth glass of red. She was suddenly feeling better, and it was getting to be time for that bath she promised herself._

_Without a word, the tanned woman picked up the remaining bottle of wine and her glass and made her way to the bathroom. She could feel the miniature blizzards boring into her back, blizzards that promised the swift and blinding vengeance of a sexually deprived woman. _  
__________________________________________

__  
__Yes, Todd had been terrified when he left that night, but that hadn't stopped him from coming back a week later, and proceeding to make the next few hours incredibly awkward for Fang.  
Damn, the man was a loud one, a stark contrast to his bedmate.  
Fang had made the mistake of commenting on this fact the next morning after the corporal left. She had hoped to shame the solider into silencing her partner.

  
The next time Todd came over, Lightning wasn't so quiet. Every night after that, she got progressively louder.

  
However, the louder she got; the more forced Fang realized it was. Almost as if the act of sex wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the tired glares Fang would give her the next morning over coffee. The thought caused a frown to appear on the huntress's face. She could only imagine a few instances in which a person would be intentionally intimate and not enjoy it. The first one was marriage. The second instance made her pause. Could Light be trying to make her jealous? She tried to dismiss the thought with a snort.  
That was ridiculous for several reasons.

  
One, Light would never stoop to anything so petty (current situation aside,) and two: what on Gran Pulse did Fang have to be jealous about? Sleeping with that skinny, mousy, trembling, little man-child who she found cowering in her kitchen? No, Fang could definitely find a better partner if she so desired. _ _  
__________________________________________

__  
_One morning the eldest Farron had asked why there was no-one in that aspect of Fang's life. She had countered with the notion that most Cocoon natives lacked a certain fire a good paramour needed, that 'they could never match a Pulsian lover.' Oddly, Farron had merely nodded and muttered something about Fang probably being right. She looked up across the table and met Fang's gaze briefly before leaving for work.  
 _ _Funny, Fang had thought herself delusional, but she could've sworn she saw a certain fire smoldering away in the sergeant’s eyes. _  
____________________________________________ _ _

______  
______A particularly loud moan made its way through the walls, and assaulted the Oerban's ears. She grit her teeth and was incredibly tempted to go pounding on the wall and yell "SHE'S FAKIN'!"  
But Oerba Yun Fang always had remarkable self-control, and refrained from doing so. Doing so would imply that she was being bothered by this. She was, but she refused to give Light the satisfaction of acknowledging this fact.  
In truth, the more she thought about it, the more she WAS bothered.  
However, it wasn't the volume of the activities next door that irked her (although it certainly contributed,) nor was it the fact that Light was doing this just to spite her. No, what bothered her was the fact that deep down, she was jealous. Not of Light herself, Etro no. But of her chosen bed-mate.  
The mighty Pulsian huntress was jealous of the mousy little man-child in the next room, getting to be so close to the sergeant, and in such an intimate fashion.  
What bothered her the most was that she knew she could make those impassioned noises being faked by the pale woman real, and just how badly she wanted to, haw badly she wanted to storm next door, toss the poor man out on his arse and take his place.  
Finally, Fang gathered up her pillow and several blankets before proceeding out of her room, (pausing only to kick her roommate’s door) through the living room and out to the back porch. Sure, it was only just above freezing, but Fang believed it would do her some good, what with the uncomfortable flush that had suddenly taken over her body. And out here, she was free of the noises emanating from the next room.


	2. Everything You Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything You Want - Vertical Horizon

Brigadier General Cid Raines was a charmer through and through. He could always whisper the right things in Sergeant Lightning Farron's ear. The right things to make her smile, or blush or even Etro forbid, giggle like a little school girl.

He was, as Serah put it, 'absolutely perfect, everything a girl like Claire could ever want.'

It made Fang sick to her stomach.

Daring to glance up for the fifth time that hour, she scowled. There they went again. He was casually leaning over to his girlfriend, (soon to be fiancé if the rumor mill was to be believed,) and whispering in her ear. Farron's eyes were shut and a small grin played on her lips. Was that a blush?

The Pulsian cast her eyes back towards her plate before she set fire to happy couple and bit down on her cheek. She gave all of her focus to the delicious meal that Serah and Vanille had spent hours crafting. Fang tasted only ashes, and her stomach boiled with anger, resentment, and dare she say even jealousy.

They just had to be so perfect, didn't they? They had to flaunt their happiness in her face, unknowingly tormenting her.

Perhaps that is what made Fang feel guilty about her resentment. That Lightning would never know how she felt, and it was her own damn fault.

_________________________________________________

_She had come to terms with her feelings for the pink-haired woman long ago. The only thing that stood in her way was the solider herself._

_Fang might seem brash and impulsive on the outside, and in most respects, she was. But when it came to her heart, there was nothing she guarded better, with the exception of her foster sister. She had no inkling as to how the solider felt about her. Sure, they had a strong friendship, but romantic feelings? How could she gamble her heart like that, when there was no guarantee of return investment?_

_What if she confessed and Lightning let her repulsion known with her fist? Or even worse than her right hook, what is she let her down in that calm, ever-stoic way she was known for?_

_Fang didn't think she could bear risking her friendship like that, not until she had concrete proof. So, she had remained silent until she could no longer bear to live with the enormity of her emotions._

_So finally, she gathered her courage and invited the object of her affections to drinks at Lebreau's. If she were going to get this off her chest, she might as well have a bit of liquid encouragement to get it going. What shocked her however, was that Light was just about to ask her out as well, saying she needed to tell the Oerban something important. She sounded nervous, or was that just wishful thinking?_

_The mere thought of whatever it was the sergeant had to tell her sent her heart to pounding, so Fang had shown up about twenty minutes early to the bar and shot down two glasses of encouragement before Light arrived._

_The sight of strawberry blond hair brought a genuine smile to the tanned woman's face, and suddenly she felt as though she could take on the Maker himself. As Lightning made her way to the bar, Fang's heartrate began to speed up. She hadn't even thought of what she would say._

_Then Light sat next to her and reached for Fang's 24k Nightmare, gently brushing her companions’ arm with her own. Fang hoped she didn't notice the slight shiver that ran through her body as she slammed back the drink and signaled for two more. Suddenly, all the worry and doubts the Pulsian carried had melted away, and she was calm and steady as the woman in front of her._

_Fang was back in control now, smirk already on her lips as she spoke. "So Sunshine, ya said ya had somethin' you wanted to tell me?"_

" _You first. You invited me here after all." came the reply, followed by the draining of her shot glass._

_The Oerban licked her lips before feeling her inhibitions begin to slip. "I just wanted to have drinks with a good friend," Fang moved closer to Light, slipping an arm around her shoulder and lowering her mouth to her ear. "after all, I never get to see you anymore. I missed you Sunshine." She did have something to say to her, but she would do the courteous thing and let her guest speak first._

_Warm breath ghosted over the shell of her ear; Lighting couldn't help but shudder. This was just going to make the news even more difficult she was sure._

_Once again stealing her companion's drink and swiftly downing it, Light turned towards her Pulsian opposite. "So, you remember the guys who just got promoted the Brigadier General? Cid Raines?" Fang nodded, already not liking where this conversation was headed._

" _Well, I'm sure you've heard Serah talk to Vanille about how I've been 'sneaking around and acting weirder than usual.'" Again, Fang nodded, and her smirk started to fall._

' ** _Etro please, not this, anything but this.'_**

_Light coughed lightly into her fist before continuing. "Well, Cid and I have been seeing each other for about a month now….and I really like him, Fang." The small smile that was creeping over her face was simultaneously smothering the other's heart in despair. Lightning continued on, oblivious to her friend's turmoil._

" _You know, you should be honored, I haven't even told Serah yet." she continued, barely glancing over at the suddenly silent huntress._

_Fang doubted her expression was honored, and turned back to the bar, flagging down Lebreau. The bartender took one look at the raven-haired woman and nodded before placing something in front of her called an 'ice bomb.'_

" _If this don't take away the hurt, I don't what will honey." her patron nodded before turning back to Light, who had kept talking about great Cid had been this past month, and how she kept it a secret because she didn't know how the relationship would play out._

_Suddenly, she couldn't breathe, like someone was holding a pillow over her face and sitting on her chest…_

__________________________________________

"…ang? Fang, are you alright?" Serah was waving her hand in front of her face, her own clouded with worry. The huntress suddenly realized how bad her jaw and knuckles were hurting, so tightly was she clenching them.

She threw on a slightly pained grin before answering, noticing Vanille's own look of concern. Sazh rested a hand upon her shoulder before giving a squeeze, Hope and Snow had stopped conversing between themselves to check on the suddenly tense woman. Hell, even little Dajh was trying to crawl into her lap. "Auntie Fang, does your tummy hurt?"

The only two not concerned with the ongoing situation were the pair in front of her. She wasn't sure if she should be affronted or relieved.

"Yeah sweetie, ma' tummy’s' a little upset right now, I think I'll go and get some air." She cast an apologetic look over to the younger sisters who had prepared the meal. "It really is great, I just ate too much or somethin." she said as she picked the small boy off her lap before getting up.

Snow spoke up "Go ahead and leave your plate, I'll clear it up." His eyes however said 'I'm here if you need me.'

She nodded before gently placing the boy in her arms in Vanille's lap, and filling up her wine glass. She took it with her as she glided from the room. Nobody questioned the action.

It wasn't until nearly ten minutes later that Lightning noticed a lull in the conversation around her. Everyone looked lost in thought, and worry clouded their eyes. It was only then that she realized the person across the table from her was missing.

"Where's Fang? When did she leave?" she questioned innocently. She glanced around the room, as if the woman in question was just leaning in one of the corners. The looks she received only served to add to her confusion.

Vanille was all but glaring at her, and Hope was giving her the same look of disappointment she would give to her protégé when he messed up on a large scale (Damn, he really was paying attention.)

Sazh just shook his head before adjusting the napkin Dajh was using as a bib. Snow was giving her a look that was a mix of irritation and incredulity, like he couldn't believe she would even ask such a thing. Cid just looked bored now that he no longer held her attention, and Serah looked slightly exasperated.

Before she could ask again, Dajh spoke "Auntie Fang is sick, her tummy hurts." The six-year-old looked fit to cry at the thought of his precious Auntie Fang being unwell.

Lightning's mind started to race. Sick? Fang had seemed fine earlier, if a bit quiet. How could she have possibly missed such a change?

Her sweet sisters broke off her train of thought. "Her stomach was upset, so she went outside to get some fresh air." Vanille broke in "This was about, oh I don't know, fifteen minutes ago." The red-head was starring daggers at her now.

Getting up from her chair, Lightning went to grab her jacket before being stopped by the voice of her boyfriend. "Where are you going, we haven't even started dessert yet."

"I'm gonna see if she's feeling any better." glancing over to the coat rack, she continued. "And she forgot her coat, its freezing outside."

She was almost out the door, "Leave her," Light spun around to glare at him "She probably wants to be alone, and besides, she the toughest woman you know. Said so yourself." The elder Farron shook her head before continuing out the door.

Maker, was it cold. Light couldn't understand what possessed Fang to head out in this frozen windstorm, sick or not. She paused. Maybe Fang was feeling flushed, and the chill was relaxing. That would mean she had a fever, and if that was the case, she really shouldn't be out in this weather. Resolve hardening, Light continued along the path to the park nearby. Fang hadn't been in the back yard, or out on the front porch, so that was the next place Light thought to check.

She still could believe she had missed the Pulsian leaving. It just seemed wrong that Lightning of all people wouldn't notice. What really bothered he though, is that Fang hadn't said anything to her when she departed. Or perhaps she had, and she had been too engrossed in talking with Cid that she hadn't noticed? The thought shook her.

Sure, Cid was great, but great enough to make her ignore her friends? Lightning didn't think so. In truth, the glamour that had surrounded their relationship in the first year had long since faded.

Cid was a good man, he really was, but there was just something missing in the relationship. It was like…. vanilla ice cream. Sure, it’s great on its own, but its bland at times, and needs a few additions to make it palatable. Unlike chocolate. Chocolate ice cream was perfect just on its own, it needed nothing. Chocolate was exotic and exciting.

Lightning wanted a chocolate relationship.

Suddenly, she spotted her target sitting on a bench, half drained glass of wine in hand. Fang was staring off in the distance, but Lightning knew better. She'd known Light was nearby for at least a few minutes at least. Unable to really say anything, she sat on the bench, besides the friend who was making it her mission to not acknowledge her presence.

The blatant scorn stung, but the Farron realized she probably deserved it. She hadn't spent much time around anyone but Cid this past year, not even her sister.

And especially not her best friend. Not after the way she had handled the news of her and Cid last year.

__________________________________________

_Fang looked like someone just punched her in the gut, and for the very life of her, Lightning couldn't figure out why. She had just concluded her tale of having met Cid at an officer’s retreat Amodar insisted she attend, and Fang refuse to meet her eye. Instead she started despondently into the strange new drink Lebreau must have dropped off. When had that happened?_

_Mentally shrugging, she couldn't figure out how Fang could've gone from happy, buzzed, and grinning, to silent, cold, and dare she say it, sober in a span of less than two minutes. Granted, judging by the smell wafting off that highball glass, she wouldn't remain sober much longer._

_There were many mysteries surrounding Oerba Yun Fang, and she supposed this would just remain one of them._

_Before she could question the Pulsian about her bizarre behavior, she spoke up._

" _That's great Sunshine! 'Bout time you finally found someone who can keep up with ya." Fang said with a cheeky grin. Was it just the lighting, or was there a sad gleam in her eyes?_

_They both sat there in uncomfortable silence, wish the other would say something to break the building tension._

_Finally, Fang stood, staggering a bit before grabbing onto the bar for support. Light grabbed her arm to add support, before it was promptly removed from her grasp. Fang had her back turned to her now, so she couldn't read her expression as she spoke._

" _It's getting late Light, we should probably head out, and fal'cie knows I need to take a walk to clear this buzz off."_

" _Fang…"_

" _Goodbye Lightning." she spoke with such finality that it almost made her think she meant forever. The mere thought of losing her best friend was heartrending. By the time she finally caught on that it was only for now, Fang had already disappeared out the front door, and Light couldn't shake the feeling that she had just made an enormous mistake._

__________________________________________

Unable to just sit there any longer, Lightning shifted and draped Fang's jacket over the woman's shoulders, noting the slight shiver that shook the tan body. Settling back on her side of the bench, Lightning finally addressed her bench mate. "Serah said you weren't feeling well…."she broke off, unsure of how to proceed.

"Just a bit a stomach trouble, nothing to worry your pretty head over. Certainly nothing to drag you away from your obviously enthralling conversation." She'd meant it as a joke, but the pink-haired sergeant heard the bitter undertones and couldn't help but inwardly cringe. It was never intention to ignore her, but something about the way she left the bar that night just made interaction with the warrior woman difficult, like she had messed up their relationship somehow, but had no clue how to fix it.

"It wasn't all that great, trust me." Cid had spent an hour whispering jokes to her that he had told her a thousand times before. She was really only smiling to be polite.

Fang finally deigned to look at her, one slender eyebrow raised as if to say 'Elaborate.'

Blue eyes met green and Light suddenly felt her mouth go dry. Unable to look away, Light suddenly found herself enraptured with the emotions that swam over her companions’ face. Hurt. Irritation. Longing.

Nothing prepared her for the words that started pouring out of her mouth.

"I've really missed you Fang. I don't know how, or when, but I messed up somewhere, and I want nothing more than to be able to go back and fix it. Just tell me how. Please." By the time she finished, Light was near tears, and had somehow managed to get a hold of one of Fang's hands. Remarkably, the Oerban didn't pull away like they both expected her to. Instead, she gently covered both of Lights hands with her free one.

No further words were spoken, but it was then that they both knew that as bad as it seemed, and as messed up as their relationship might have been at the moment, everything was going to be alright.


	3. Chocobo Outside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horse Outside - Rubber Bandits

It was the day of her baby sister's wedding, and so far, everything had been going well.

Snow and Serah had exchanged their handwritten vows, and the kiss that followed was one of the most beautiful anyone in the church had ever witnessed.

Claire Farron, for Lightning had been set aside for the day, had never been happier for her sister. Moreover, even though she had her differences with Snow, she knew he would take care of Serah the way only he could until the day he died.

The reception that followed ran just as smoothly. Even Fang, who had been forced to swear she would behave with a gun blade pressed to her neck, had kept her word. Not only had she conducted herself with incredible grace, but she kept some of Snow's rowdier NORA comrades in check as well.

Did Claire let her guard done for a second? Not a chance in hell. She had been trained to expect the worst, and so she would. However, she would never let on to the newlyweds.

It did not help that a classmate of Serah's, Eric was his name, seemed to make it his mission to ask her to dance every five minutes, regardless of whether or not she was busy helping Yuj keep Maqui away from the chocolate fountain. He was cute and all, but she just was not interested.

He finally annoyed her to the point of breaking. However, she promised Serah that there would be no bloodshed today, so she finally agreed.

He was a good dancer, if a bit grabby. Light made sure he knew to keep his hands above the waist and below the bust. He pushed the boundaries, but remained just within reason. The eldest Farron wasn't sure whether to applaud him for the audacity, or punch him in the nose.

_'No bloodshed. Remember the promise to Serah.'_

About fifteen minutes into the forced dance, she was ready to chew her arm off to escape the torment.

It was not until Dajh came up and practically begged her to dance with him instead that she finally started to relax. After all, how could she say no to an adorable six-year-old in an equally adorable tuxedo? Because she had a heart (and it was the perfect escape plan), she could not. She mock-waltzed, swung, and all around boogied with the young boy until a vision of Pulsian beauty tapped him on the shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in little guy?" purred the heavy accent. For a brief moment, he looked upset at the interruption.

"Poor Vanille, all alone over there, and no one to dance with. Hope had to leave early and she's just crushed." The boy's face lit up like a tree on Christmas, and he hurriedly made his way to the other Oerban. After all, he could not let a pretty lady just sit there without someone to dance with. His Daddy taught him how to be a gentleman.

Claire shook her head incredulously as the tanned woman with a devious smirk turned back towards her new dance partner. Perhaps it was the elegantly modest blue dress that clung to her figure, or the earnest extension of her hand and tilt of the head, but the pink-haired woman let an honest smile grace her features and clasped the hand in her own.

The music was a modestly tempo-ed violin number, one that could be danced to at arm’s length, or pressed together, and seemed to demand movement.

Farron finally broke the comfortable silence. "Poor Vanille, huh? Oerba Yun Fang, you deviously sneaky Pulsian fox."

"Why thank ya, Sunshine. I really do try." Fang looked extremely proud of herself. Claire merely shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"I tried to get over here sooner ya know, save ya from that little punk." the sergeant looked honestly surprised. "Only problem was, Maqui somehow made it over to the chocolate fountain, and we had to tie him down to a chair before he drowned himself." She used her head to gesture over to the blond boy who, low-and-behold, really was tied to a chair with…were those streamers? A good thing too, as the poor lad was twitching uncontrollably, probably tweaking on a sugar high. To make matters even more comical, Lebreau and Gadot were twirling about the boy with a grace that seemed impossible considering the proportional difference between them. It was as if they were acting as tango-ing sentries on a prisoner.

"So you sent your little minion instead?" Dajh had come from that same direction when he asked her to dance. Fang only smirked and kept them dancing, occasionally sending her partner into a light twirl, or slight dip. Claire could have sworn the little boy was staring to get a smirk just like the one the huntress wore right now. It was an unsettling thought. However, she could not help but think about what a little heartbreaker he would grow up to be if Fang was the one teaching him.

She let out a light chuckle at the thought. Claire would have to help out, so as not to completely ruin the young lad.

The song faded away, only to be replaced by a slower one. It was a song that seemed to speak of bittersweet romances.

No words needed to be spoken between the two…what exactly were they? Friends? Of course, but there was something else there as well. Lovers? Light didn't think they had reached that point as of yet. Nevertheless, the mutual attraction was there, and the constant flirting. Yes, they both wanted something more, but were unsure how to go about it.

A slight frown replaced the grin as she moved to rest her chin on the taller woman's shoulder, feeling as her head came to rest on her own. Fang's heartbeat felt so familiar, and she had taken to humming along with the violins. The vibrations in her chest resonated to Claire's own, and caused her smile to return as she inhaled the scent of pine needles and wood smoke. The scent that was so inherently Fang.

Whatever they were, she was glad for it. Although perhaps her inner shmuck was getting the best of her. Oh well, it was her only sister's wedding day, she could be sappy if she wanted.

Suddenly, the soothing tempo was violently ripped from the speakers and replaced with something so hideous, so vile, she almost punched Fang out of sheer reflex.

Everyone around them shifted into the dreaded chocobo dance.

The solider stopped dead in her tracks. This had to be Snow's doing, she just knew it.

The tugging on her arm and Cheshire grin plastered on her partner's face informed her of the others intentions.

"No, just no. Not a chance in hell Fang."

"Come on Sunshine! You got t' loosen up a bit!" The Oerban was already going through the motions: moving her hand like a beak, flapping her arms like mock wings, and sinking to the floor whilst shaking her rear. While she made that last part look incredibly alluring and graceful, there was no way she could convince her opposite to join in the embarrassing dance.

"Come on _Claire,_ it's ya sister's wedding, you are obligated to do this dance." Damn her, mentioning Serah.

Fang shifted until she was behind the strawberry blond, and moved her body to conform to the now incredibly tense woman. She grabbed her hands and helped her go through the awkward movements, ass shake and all.

_'Maybe this dance isn't so bad after all.'_ thought the solider.

After a few repetitions, Fang finally let go, and Claire found herself missing the contact. That was before the tanned huntress moved in front of her, positively beaming that Claire had kept doing the dance of her own free will.

What seemed like hours later, after the newlyweds had driven off, and the reception hall cleaned up, everyone was ready to get home. Fang and her had separated about an hour ago and had not seen each other since.

Claire frowned slightly. She had wanted to at least say goodnight to the Pulsian before she left.

Eric found her once more, and started bragging about his brand new velocycle, about how environmentally friendly it was. He obviously had not watched her dance with Fang earlier, as he still thought he stood a chance.

She was just about to whirl on the man before a familiar accent reached her ears.

"Fuck your velocycle; I've got a chocobo outside."

That caused the solider to stop. Had she heard her correctly? She rode a chocobo here? That just seemed so absurd, so strange, so…Fang.

"A chocobo? Really, like that's supposed to impress anybody." Eric's words dripped with self-assurance.

"Not meant to impress anyone. Just meant to get me where I need to go. Best part is, I don't need insurance, I create my own parking, and those talons of his are excellent thief deterrent."

Both Claire and Eric stared at her now. Fang only smirked and kept going. "I don't got any taxes to pay on him, he's just about the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation, and it is an incredibly stylish way to arrive."

The strawberry-blond was now absolutely convinced that she was one hundred percent in love with Oerba Yun Fang.

"Why don't you show me this stylish new mode of transport you've acquired, hmm Fang?" she said as she extended her arm.  
"With pleasure, Sunshine." replied the huntress, linking their arms and leading the elder Farron from the hall. Just before the made their way through the doors, Fang stopped, turned, and raised her middle finger to the confused man before turning back to Claire.

"Sunshine, I would be honored if you would agree to join me for dinner tomorrow night." The mischief in her eyes was unmistakable, as was the trepidation.

It was Claire's turn to be devious. She leaned in, and ghosted her lips past Fang's ear.

"I would love to, but only if you show me how you ride that chocobo of yours afterwards." Green eyes grew wide at the implication, and she let loose a chuckle before moving back and closing the gap between their lips.

Poor Eric never stood a chance.


	4. Porn Star Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Porn Star Dancing - My Darkest Days

Fang couldn't believe she had agreed to this. Sure, it was Godot's bachelor party, and she was technically the best man (best woman?) but it just felt wrong to voluntarily walk into Cocoon's most notorious strip club, The Sanctum that night.

Yes, she loved Gadot like a brother; they had spent damn near a decade together in foster care.  
However there is just something unsettling about going to a strip club with your brother and his friends, days before his wedding.

Originally, she was just going to attend Lebreau's bachelorette party, and skip the guy time altogether. She knew what Snow planned for her brother, and wanted no part of it. It wasn't that she had a problem looking at other, semi-naked women, far from it. But looking at other, semi-naked women with her baby brother? That was a level of weird she didn't need.

Besides, when Snow and the gang got together with Gadot, bad things tended to happen. **_Rowdy_** things. **_Strange_** things. Last time the group assembled, she had to help get the poor kid, Hope, untied and off the flagpole.

They never did find Yuj's coconut bra. Or Hope's shorts.

Lebreau obviously had these same occurrences in mind when she practically begged Fang to go.  
The brunette had been taken aback by the request. Her ex-girlfriend was asking her to go to a strip club with her brother (the other's fiancé,) to keep an eye on the group and make sure they didn't get into any trouble.

The Yun's 'weird quota' had been filled for that month, with more left over for the next.

And so was the story of how Fang got roped into this horribly awkward situation.

What irked her most though was that she wouldn't even get to enjoy the sights the business offered, as she would be playing babysitter.

A scowl descended on her face. She turned to glare at her beloved brother, who, much to Fang's pleasure, looked just as uncomfortable as her.

For all his bravado, and impressive build, Gadot was still young, woefully inexperienced, and very much uneasy looking at a woman who was not his fiancé.

Seeing his own discomfort brought out the protective steak in the woman, and she remembered this was hardly his idea. So, she amended her glare to the tall blonde in front of her.

This was Snow's fault. That's all she had to keep telling herself if she were going to make it through the next few hours.

The smell was nothing like Fang had prepared herself for. It was almost, earthy. Dare she say, it was almost pleasant. Gone was the odor of sweat, desperation, and broken dreams. Replacing that was clean leather, faint pipe tobacco, and…popcorn?

The native Pulsian inhaled deeply. Yep, that was popcorn alright. _'This might not be so bad after all.'_

Walking further in the room, there was suddenly a new scent she had trouble identifying. It was starchy, and deep, and reminded her of potatoes. She had no idea why, but she thought of potatoes.

Snow led them through the maze of tables, chairs and dim lighting so well, Fang just knew this wasn't his first rodeo. Hell, it probably wasn't even his fifth.

He led them over to a large corner booth that gave a great view of the stage and bar. The lone woman had a feeling both her and the groom would be enjoying one more than the other tonight. And from the slightly green look on Hope's face, he would be enjoying the potted plants next to him. Perhaps he didn't like potatoes?

Chancing to look around, Fang caught sight of the bouncer. Dark skin and with an afro, he looked like a no-nonsense sort of man. He looked a bit aged, twenty, maybe twenty-five years her senior, but there was strength to him, she could tell. He gave Godot an appraising look, as if judging him to be the biggest threat in the group. Then glancing at Fang, she shook her head and gestured to Snow.

Casting his gaze at the blonde, then back to the woman, he gave her a nod, small smile tugging at his lips.

Oh goody, she made a new friend.

Two hours, and couple shots of cointreau later, Fang was having herself a grand ol' time. A few dancers had already been on stage, Snow had found himself enraptured with them all. Yuj had disappeared almost forty-five minutes ago, Hope's stomach contents were getting acquainted with the fichus, and Godot's face was now matching his hair.

Fang shook her head. Really, as great and intimidating as he looked, her foster brother really was incredibly shy.

This got her thinking back to the day when Gadot had approached her about her ex.

_"So, Fang…."_

_"So, Gadot." The woman couldn't help but tease the younger man. She waited for him to gather his thoughts and continue._

_"You know that girl you were seeing a few months back? Hell, I don't even remember her name-"_

_"Leabreau?" she interjected helpfully, smirk playing on her lips._

_"Yeah her. How's she doing, you keep in touch?"_

_Fang could see where this increasingly awkward conversation was going, and could help but snigger at his expense. It was obvious how enamored with the dark-haired beauty he had been when Fang brought her home for the first time. It had been quite obvious from the way he remained silent throughout dinner that night, and how he refused to meet his sister's eye; instead opting to sneak glances at the date she brought home. He was hardly subtle. Both girls had thought it adorable, and relentlessly teased the muscle-bound youth about it all through dinner._

_However, despite his feelings, he respected his foster sister too much, and never once considered acting on them the entire five months the pair was together. Hell, the fact that he waited another six before even broaching the subject spoke volumes of the high esteem, he held the tanned woman in._

_"She's good; we still see each other a few times a week. Sometimes she even asks about the family. Why do you ask?" She knew full well why he was asking, but could resist needling the young man. Breau and she had ended the relationship mutually, and on good terms. To this day, they would get lunch together, or just hang out on the pier._

_Gadot inhaled deeply, steeling himself to just say what he needed. "Well, she seemed like a fun person to be around ya know? Like she could enjoy herself." he continued, oblivious to the knowing smirk on his sister's face. "And well, I got a few days off this week, and thought I might get bored." The red-head started to cringe at the implications of his words._

_"Go on." she coaxed._

_"Well, truth is, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I asked her…to hang out." he finished lamely._

_Fang dropped the smirk off her face, all seriousness now. Green eyes met the deep brown of her companion. He looked terrified at the sudden change in her demeanor._

_"Hang out, huh?"_

_The fiery haired youth visibly cringed, only able to nod. Fang let the moment drag on, his discomfort palpable._

_Just when she thought he was about to pass out, she abruptly grinned and threw an arm over his hunched shoulders._

_"Sure, I don't see why the hell not." Removing her arm, she took then pen on the table in front of them and jotted the other woman's number on an old grocery receipt, tucking the slip of paper in his jacket pocket. Finished tormenting her beloved brother, she strode to the front door, pausing to turn back._

_"You might even want to ask her out on a date, I know for a fact she likes 'em tan."_

_Well, she wasn't **quite** finished with her teasing it would seem._

The brunette chuckled at the memory. Sure, her and Lebreau hadn't worked out, but at least her brother was happy, and wasn't that what really mattered?

She completely disregarded the fact that she was sitting in a leather booth that smelt like potatoes, in The Sanctum, getting ready to stop Snow from buying the groom another lap dance, as she thought back to a year and half ago. He already looked fit to pass out.

 _"Oh, how far we've come"  
_ From being single, and trembling in fear at home, to being engaged, and trembling in embarrassment at a strip club.

Without warning, the music stopped and the dim lights faded to almost total blackness. The smell of potatoes grew stronger as the deep voice of the DJ boomed out across the speakers.

"Gentleman, and lady, it is my great pleasure to introduce you to the pride of The Sanctum, the bright spark in our otherwise pitiful existences. The illustriously illuminating…Sergeant Lightning.

A lone woman strode out onto the stage as the music picked up, a hard rock piece, heavy on the guitar. It was intense, violent almost. Very much like the pink-haired woman that had rapidly become the center of attention.

She was wearing a mockup of a Guardian Corps uniform, shoulder pauldron and all. Fang's first thought was: _'I bet that skirt ain't regulation length.'_ and after that, her mind went blank.

Pale hands grasped the pole situated center-stage; the faux-sergeant began her dance. Somewhere in the swaying of hips and flipping around on the pole, Fang had become hypnotized. So hypnotized that she hadn't begun to even notice that the various layers the woman wore were gradually getting to be fewer. So hypnotized, that when the mysterious woman locked eyes with her, she couldn't even begin to fight the flush that suddenly took over her body.

Blue eyes glittering with mischief, Lightning slowly made her way down the steps, into the surrounding gloom. A collective groan went up from the crowd before the traveling spotlight illuminated the dancer's graceful form once again.

Had the brunette been coherent, she would have sworn that mane of pink was sashaying over to her table. Seeing as she wasn't however, all that went through her mind was something along the lines of: _'dearEtrodearEtrodearEtro'_

So, when the dancer was suddenly on the table in front of her, there was nothing Fang could do to keep her mouth from falling open. Clouded green eyes locked with crystalline blue, Lightning leaned down, giving the other woman a generous view of cleavage.

Slender fingers reached out, gently trailing along a tanned jaw line, before gripping her chin, and closing the astonished woman's mouth.

A single pale finger rested against her lips, and Fang had to fight the instinctive urge to press harder against it.

Lightning raised one perfect eyebrow and gave the brunette a knowing smile. She then turned and gracefully flipped off of the table and made her back up to the stage as the song came to an end.

Giving the crowd an appraising look, Lightning turned and made her way back past the curtain. But not before casting one more glance towards the table with the tanned beauty.

It took nearly five minutes for the Pulsian to finally regain the ability to form coherent thoughts, and the first thought formed was: ' _I think she winked at me.'_


	5. No Matter What

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No Matter What - Papa Roach

Pale moonlight streamed into the bedroom, illuminating the two young lovers on the bed. One slept peacefully, arms wrapped tightly around the others waist, head resting on her stomach. It was a beautiful night, a perfect night.

Tan fingers gently ran through pink silk tresses, and a hum of contentment rumbled in her chest. There was nowhere else Fang wanted to be in this moment, nothing that could shake the serenity she found in the arms of her longtime paramour. This was perfection itself.

Light shivered with the breeze that drifted through the open window. The older woman bit back a chuckle as she sought to try and burrow herself further into her bedmates body. Fang pulled the blanket up onto bare shoulders and delicately pulled the other closer, eager to share her warmth. The solider let out a mumble of satisfaction and fell still once more.

Fang was tired, this was true, but there was just something about how the solider slept. It was so peaceful, so beautiful, that she had to stay up and gaze at her lover.

Three years they were together. Three long, happy, amazing years next week. Three years, and she was still enthralled with the transformation from being the stoic, awake solider girl, to the gentle, cuddling, and adorable woman currently resting on her stomach. All the seriousness seemed to melt away when she was asleep. It was something few people ever got to see, and Fang was proud to say she was one of them.

A small smile tugging at her lips, Fang couldn't help but think back to the moment when they met once again after her four years in crystal stasis. There were no tears, no loud sobs or proclamations of how she had missed her dearly. Actually, Lightning had given her a cool look that bordered on ice as she walked toward her one-time companion. The sergeant gave her a once over, as if checking for any superficial wounds, before meeting her gaze. The fire now in her eyes belayed the ice in her posture, and the Oerban had to swallow around the lump that made its way to her throat.

When they were mere inches away from one another, she spoke.

"Bout damn time." was all that was uttered before she gripped the front of the Pulsian's sari and pulled her down for a searing kiss. Their first kiss, Fang thought fondly.

This brought her to her next thought: her missing amethyst necklace. Lightning had asked her about its sudden disappearance, and it took all her will power to simply shrug and say, "Must've lost it on that last hunt." It almost caused her physical pain to lie about even something as trivial as a necklace, but it had to be done.

In truth, Fang had sent it off to the jeweler to have the crystal engraved. It would read: "To my ray of Sunshine." and she planned to present it to her on their three-year anniversary. It was going to be Fang's betrothal token, as it had been to her mother before her. Light knew what the necklace meant to Fang, and she hoped this would make the depths of her feelings undeniable.

Doubts came to her mind unbidden. What if Light didn't like it? What if she was hoping for a ring, as Cocoon custom dictated, or a fancy, shiny pendant like Serah had received from Snow?

Or even worse, what if she said no? Fang didn't think she could handle that possible rejection.

The blankets seemed oppressive at that moment, as if they were attempting to smother the Pulsian in her own fears. Glancing down at the sleeping woman, Fang was suddenly unsure of what to do. Should she forge onward with her plan? Should she wait until she received a hint from Light? Perhaps she should go get a ring, just in case.

A thousand thoughts tore through her mind at once. She couldn't breathe. She gently disentangled pale arms from around her waist and slipped form the covers. Padding over towards the window, Fang rested her forearms on the sill and reveled in the breeze. The chill wind was just what she needed to help clear her mind.

Fang inhaled deeply, almost gasping at the sting in her chest. Was it the cold doing this, or her own heart? Were the shivers that now wracked her body from the cold, or was she honestly that scared of a rejection that might not even come? She wasn't sure.

So lost in her thoughts, she hadn't even heard the rustle of bed sheets, or soft footsteps that made their way behind her. She jumped a bit when strong arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders; the cool lips on her neck caused her to tense.

"Fang?" asked a groggy voice "What are you doing up? Its 2:26 and absolutely freezing."

"Sorry Light, just getting up to shut the window, bit chilly and all."

"Well hurry up and shut it already so we can get back to sleep. You know I can't unless you're there."

The native Pulsian could have cried at those words, almost meaningless to their speaker. That was the confirmation she had been searching for, all the encouragement she needed to proceed with next week's plan.

Swiftly closing the window, she let her girlfriend of three years lead her back to the now cool sheets. Slipping between them, Fang could help herself. She pulled the sleepy solider close, pressing their bodies together before claiming soft lips with her own. A groan of contentment vibrated in the pale woman's chest before she pulled away, resting head on Fang's chest with a yawn.

Speech slurred from drowsiness "Promise you're not leaving again?" She had only meant the bed and tonight, but Fang's response spoke of eternity.

"Promise. No matter what."

Both women passed into the realm of dreams with smiles on their faces.


	6. Flowers for a Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flowers for a Ghost - Thriving Ivory

When Fang said she would take a bullet for her, Lightning thought she was just being a horrible romantic. Never in a million years had she thought it would ever be a reality.

Today was supposed to be their anniversary. They were supposed to go to dinner, walk along the beach, and whisper sweet nothings to each other until the moon was high in the sky. They were supposed to hold hands and be as sappy and embarrassing as possible.

Lightning was not supposed to be pressing her jacket to her girlfriend's chest, staunching blood that stubbornly flowed from a bullet wound. She was not supposed to be holding a trembling Fang, shushing her so as to conserve her strength for the fight for life.

Where the fuck was that damned ambulance?

Fang's blood was not supposed to be pooling underneath her, soaking the soldier's jeans.

Lightning had seen death before, even before her days as a Pulse l'cie. She had held companions as they passed on. Then after her branding, she had been the cause of much of it. She had seen the life leave the eyes of Sanctum soldiers, at one point even took comfort from it. After all, if they were dead, she was still alive.

Never had she been phased before. After all, humans died. It was inevitable, so why even bother fighting against it?

Although, never had it been Fang in her arms before, never the love of her life. It was never the woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, the one person who made feel whole.

Damn it! Why did she have to play hero?

_The pair were walking along the streets of Bodhum, hands clasped together, casually making their way to Lebreau's. They didn't need fancy restaurants, or expensive shows. They were madly in love with one another, and knew it. No need to get all extravagant._

_However, Fang had been acting strange all day. Well, stranger than usual. Her hand kept playing with something in her jacket pocket, and no matter how much Lightning needled her, she refused to acknowledge anything was off._

"Damn it Fang! Don't you dare leave me! Do you hear me?" she didn't even try to fight the tears that flowed down her face. Fang's grin was just as beautiful as ever, even with blood tricking from the corners of her mouth. The bullet must have penetrated a lung.

Funny, because it felt as though it had torn right through Lightning's heart.

_Only a block away now, they saw the establishment in the distance, lit up and ready for business. Except, it looked like there weren't many people there. Hell, it looked empty, something that it never was on a Friday night._

_Glancing over at her girlfriend, Fang's smile only seemed to grow the closer they got. She was planning something, of that Lightning was sure._

"S…s…sunshine-"

"Don't talk, you have to stay strong until the ambulance gets here." she paused to look into green eyes; sure the pain in them was mirrored in her own. "You're going to be alright, just hold on."

Now would have been a great time to still be a l'cie. Now would have been a great time to still have that cura spell handy.

_There was a commotion in one of the bookstores lining the boardwalk, what sounded like breaking glass and screaming. Both women shifted into fighting mode and went to investigate._

_A lanky man with a ski mask was holding the store owner and a young girl at gun point. Several shelves were shattered, books now littering the floor._

Fang did as she was told and held her tongue, but the movement of her hand caught the soldier's trained gaze. She was clutching onto something, and slowly bringing it closer to her lover's hand.

Lightning was frozen as a bloody jewelry box was weakly pressed into her palm.

"O…pen it." Her breathing was getting shallower, weaker. Lightning didn't want her hands to leave the make-shift compress for a single moment, but the look in Fang's eyes begged her to.

_Running, they were running after the man._

_His left arm was broken, she was sure. And the bullet Lightning put in his shoulder was certainly slowing him down._

_Citizens crowded the sidewalk, making lining up the final shot difficult. Lightning refused to pull the trigger until she was sure there would be no collateral damage._

_Scowling, the sergeant pushed another Bodhum resident out of her way. She was so close now, she almost had him._

_She never saw the masked man turn around, leveling the gun at her._

_But Fang did._

_The Oerban saw what was about to happen and her mind went into overdrive. She pressed her legs to their limit, and only just managed to push the sergeant out of the way as the shot sounded._

Carefully, so as not to disturb the compress, the pink-haired woman took the box in hand and quickly opened the top.

Nestled on a bed of black velvet was her girlfriend's amethyst necklace, the same one she claimed to have lost weeks ago. Her mother's betrothal necklace was now in the possession of a very astonished Cocoon sergeant. Quickly looking back to Fang, her throat slammed shut as emotions tore through her, foremost were the dual tidal waves of love, and heart wrenching despair.

"Rea…re…read…it."

Obliging, she scanned her eyes over the crystal. Engraved on the face were five simple words. Five little words that had the stoic solider girl gasping for breath.

" _To my ray of Sunshine"_

The Oerban's next words tore out her heart and replaced it with a fira spell.

"Happy anni…versary…Claire." The words were almost nothing but air, but they reached receptive ears all the same.

Unable to speak, Lightning did the only thing she could, and pressed one hand back to the compress and using the other to clutch her tanned partner tightly to her.

Lips were pressed to a damp forehead, as both shook with pain. Lightning could literally feel the life drain out of the brunette, breaths getting shallower, tremors wracking defined muscles. She couldn't let this happen.

"Fang, you stay with me, you hear me? Stay with me!" no longer could she keep the quiver out of her voice. "You promised me, remember? You promised you wouldn't leave me. 'No matter what,' you said! So don't you dare die on me now." Harsh words faded into a whisper. "You promised."

Sirens sounded in the distance, maybe two miles away. She only had to hang on for two more miles.

"Claire…" They both knew she wouldn't last two miles.

A devastated Lightning looked down into the eyes of her now-fiancé. Green eyes that were once so bright, so full of life, were now dim. The shine that once enthralled her had all but vanished, leaving only darkness in its wake. And yet, Light had still never seen anyone half as beautiful.

"I'm here, I'm right here Fang."

"No matter…what." she stated simply, smile tugging at her lips.

The pink-haired woman barely managed to speak around the lump in her throat. "No matter what." she breathed in confirmation. She leaned forward, down to the striking face of the love of her life, pressing her lips to pale, cold ones.

Sergeant Lightning Farron felt the last breath of Oerba Yun Fang ghost across her lips as she rested her forehead on that of the now still woman beneath her. She hadn't even realized her eyes had shut until a man in a paramedic’s uniform shook her, asking her to step aside.

Even as she was being escorted away from the scene, the pinkette never took her eyes off the sight of her fiancé's face. Her face had relaxed in a way that only happened when she slept. It was almost enough to convince her of the thought.

But as the paramedics tried every method of resuscitation they knew, Light knew that this was one nap Fang wouldn't wake up from, that this nightmare had only just begun for her. The thought chilled the solider to the core.

Unable to contain herself anymore, the ever-composed Guardian Corps sergeant fell back to her knees, and, face in hands, wept for all she was worth. She wept for all the years of happy marriage that would never come, for all the future anniversaries that would never be. Most of all, she wept for the loss of her soulmate.

After all, humans died. And it seemed that Fang was only human after all.


	7. Belle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle - Garou, Daniel Lavoie, and Patrick Fiori; as heard in Notre Dame de Paris

'Beautiful' could not even begin to describe the woman in front of her. No, Fang doubted there was a word strong enough to describe her.

**_Captivating.  
Enrapturing.  
Absorbing._ **

That wouldn't stop her from trying to find one though.

**_Enchanting.  
Mesmerizing.  
Enthralling._ **

She could do this all night.

**_Hypnotic.  
Riveting.  
Spellbinding._ **

Everything about the solider bespoke military background. Stiff posture, constant alertness, no nonsense attitude. Yet, there was a dancer trapped behind that military discipline, like a bird wanting nothing more than to spread its wings and fly away.

Then she would move, and Fang would be lost.

The Farron moved with a grace few could ever guess at, the sway of her hips often only serving as a distraction to the Oerban huntress. More than once had she found herself staring keenly at the other's backside.

If it was bad when they were merely walking around, it was ten-times worse in a fight. The fluid way she handled her blade, the grace with which she twirled through the air, that inner fire that seemed to makes its way to the surface. It all served to drive Fang to distraction, causing a few more wounds than would have been obtained otherwise.

**_Enticing._ **

It was the little things that drove Fang crazy.

The way the solider would lick her chapped lips had Fang mimicking the action.  
The way her hands would brush her skin when healing.  
The way her hair would brush over her eyes.  
The warmth of her hand on her shoulder as she would relieve her of watch duty.  
The way pink hair would invade her dreams almost every night.

  
It all served to drive Fang mad.

Blue eyes met her own from across the fire.

**_Gripping._ **

Such eyes were a rarity among the Pulse population. Most people on her home planet had subdued hues. Brown, gray, hazel. Green was also quite common. Mostly earth tones. They showed a connection to the land that they lived in tenuous harmony with.

**_Exotic._ **

That was not to say she had never seen blue eyes before; it was simply uncommon. However, never had she seen eyes such as the Cocoon soldiers. Never such a sharp, electric blue. Never anything so pure, and yet so dangerous.

And that hair. Etro only knew how few people had that color. Fang wanted nothing more than to run her fingers through it. She would bet her lance it was smoother than silk.

**_Entrancing._ **

The Cocoon native stood up, never breaking eye contact. She walked past the fire, towards Fang. Said woman felt her heart begin to race.  
Their eyes were still locked, and Fang hoped none of her emotions were showing on her face at the moment.  
The sway in her hips was evident, even when gazing in her eyes.

Only when the sergeant strolled by her at a leisurely pace did the contact break. She was behind the group now, perhaps going out to patrol.

**_Sinful._ **

There is was. It was as close as Fang could come to putting a word to Lighting Farron. She was a demon sent from the depths of hell to tempt her. To fill her with the most unholy desire.  
What unsettled her though, was just how much she liked it.

Fang let out a breath she did not know she was holding, before glancing around the base camp. Hope and Vanille were asleep on their bedrolls, and snow was propped up against a rock, snoring slightly. Only Sazh was still awake, tending to the fire.

She made sure he was set deep into his task before slipping off into the darkness herself.

Fang should have been ashamed at what she was doing, but could bring herself to feel it. Yes, she was following the other woman, in the dark. However, she had no intention other than to watch from afar, to admire her from a distance.  
Filled with unholy desire she may be, but she would be damned before she let in consume her completely. She refused to be owned by her emotions.

**_Wicked._ **

Lightning had stopped in a small clearing, encircled with rocks. She was resting on one of them, gazing out the way she had come.  
Fang stopped short. The other had known all along she was being trailed, had expected it.  
She planned to turn back; head back to the camp and pretend this was not happening.

Blue eyes sought out green once more. Even across the distance, the color was apparent, as was the invitation to come closer.

Against the will of her mind, Fang moved forward, towards her companion. She screamed at her legs to turn back, that nothing good could come from this. Yet still they went forward, leading her to damnation.

Light still sat on her rock, watching with predatory intensity at the approaching woman. When she deemed her to be close enough, she slipped down and began her own advance.

The two met in the middle of the clearing, saying nothing with words, yet everything with their eyes.

' _I want you'_ spoke green.  
' _I know'_ replied blue.

A tan hand moved forward, until her fingertips rested lightly on a pale forearm. Bright blue eyes grew a shade darker. Fingers moved upward, almost of their own accord. As she gently traced the woman's bicep, a tremor tore through her, halting her ministrations.

If she proceeded any further, she would be forever lost. There was no turning back, no salvation. If she kept up, she was welcoming damnation with open arms.

Lightning brought her hand to Fang's face, cupping her cheek. Eyes burnt with an intensity neither had ever felt. Faces moved toward one another with agonizing slowness. Breath ghosted across skin as a latent hand resumed its earlier action, now playing with the leather armbands.

Lips pressed together with tenderness, only to be rapidly replaced by hungry passion. Hands that grazed over flesh rapidly moved to entangle in wild hair and encircle necks.

There was no turning back now. That chance was never truly there to begin with. Fang had sealed her own fate the second she ran after the solider in Palumpolum.

A white jacket found its way to the ground. Hands greedily devoured the exposed midriff, while others made swift work of a blue sari.

Fang pulled back, vainly desperate to regain any sense of self-control. Light grasped her face with both hands, forcing her to look at her. Blue eyes, now dark with a desire that was surly mirrored in her own, bared her soul.

She wanted this. They both did.

Unable to hold back any longer, Fang reclaimed bruised lips and submitted herself to her inner animal.

If this were what damnation felt like, then she would indeed welcome it with open arms.


	8. Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paradise - Coldplay

Claire Farron was just an average little girl. She had a mother, a father, and a little sister. Together they made a happy little family in the beach-side town of Bodhum, Cocoon.

Claire was a relatively happy child, if a bit serious. Like most little girls, she dreamed of the world she could expect as an adult.

She dreamt of her future husband. He would be tall, strong, and blond. Just like her Father.  
She dreamt of the successful businesswoman she would become. Just like her Mother.  
She dreamt of the children she would raise. There would be four, two boys, two girls, and they all would share her strawberry blonde hair, and her husband's green eyes.

In short, Claire dreamt of paradise.

When Claire was six, her Father, an average-Joe working a nine to five job, was killed in a wreck. There was no drunk driver, no malevolent motorist. There was no one to blame, no faceless stranger to pin the pain on. It all fell down to bad luck.

Her mother was devastated, and Claire did what she could to ease the pain. Serah was just too young to fully grasp what had happened, that Daddy wasn't coming home.

The three of them lived in relative comfort for the next few years. It still felt as though a large part of their lives was gone, but they survived. They were the Farron women, they were strong.

Even at ten, Claire still had dreams of the life she would have when she was older. She still dreamed of her blond husband, of her successful job, of her four pink-haired, green-eyed children.

Then, Claire's mother started to get sick, just a little cough here and there. Nothing to really worry about. When Mother was sick, Claire would see to it that Serah was fed, clean, and happy. Mother got sick often, so Claire became very adept at these things.

By the time Claire was thirteen, her Mother was sick more often than not. It was no longer just a cough. She was always shivering, always had a fever. More than once had the girls come home to find their mother collapsed on the floor. More than one night was spent in a hospital room, waiting for the same inconclusive test that the doctors always ran.

She still dreamt of the life she would have. A life that included her mother fussing over her pink-haired, green-eyed children. They included her mother always claiming that she certainly had found a catch, and that she worked too hard.

Strange as it seemed, it was still paradise.

By the time Claire was fourteen; her Mother had wasted away to almost nothing. No tests could confirm or deny whatever illness plagued her beloved Mother.

She still dreamt. Now they only involved her mother's recovery.

By the time Claire was fifteen, it was just her and her sister Serah. Soon after her mother's passing, Claire died as well.  
Claire died, and Lightning was born.

Lightning went on to get a job at the local market, bagging groceries. Lightning gave up going out with her friends. Lightning made sure she did everything in her power to see that Serah was still fed, clean, and happy.

After high school, Lightning went on to join the Guardian Corps. It paid well, let her remain in Bodhum, and still allowed her to keep a strict watch on her sister.

Lightning went on in life.

And of course, Lightning still dreamed.

She dreamt of Serah's future husband. He would be tall, strong, and blond. Just like their Father.  
She dreamt of Serah's future teaching job, where she would be hard working and successful. Just like their Mother.  
She dreamt of her future niece and nephews. One girl, two boys, all with strawberry-blond hair.

And still she dreamt of green eyes.

Even now, she dreamt of paradise, even if it wasn't her own.

When Lightning was twenty-one, her sister was branded a Pulse l'cie, and her own branding soon followed.

She found herself paired up with an old man, a little kid with deranged dreams of revenge, a perky teenager who couldn't take anything seriously, and her sister's idiot fiancé.

Snow was tall, strong and blond, yes. However, he was nothing like her father.  
Serah was trapped in an eternal crystal sleep, never able to become a successful teacher, never able to have one girl and two boys with her idiot fiancé. There would be no children running around with strawberry-blond hair.

There would be no more dreams of paradise.

Yet still, Lightning dreamt of green eyes.

Pulse was hell. Was that not how the saying goes?

From what Lightning had seen so far, the saying was true. Everything with a heartbeat wanted to kill you. Certain things without a heartbeat wanted to kill you. Hell, even the weather on this planet was gunning for the l'cie. Either it was unbearably hot and muggy, or raining and freezing.

It was the latter that currently saw her huddling in a cave, listening to the combined snores of her sister's idiot fiancé, an old man, and a chocobo chick. Words could not begin to describe the sound bouncing off the cave walls. How the kids slept through it, she would never understand.

Then there was Fang. How did one describe Oerba Yun Fang?

Arrogant, obnoxious, cocky, and nerve-grating only scratched the surface. And absent, Lightning realized.

The Oerban was nowhere in the cave, so that only meant she was out in the fal'cie forsaken rain. Why? Hell if she knew, she must be insane.

That’s a good one to add to her list.

Yet, as irritating as Lightning found Fang to be at times, there was a certain amount of trust between them. She knew she could entrust Fang to watch her back in a fight, and vice-versa. There was no-one else she would spend late night hours whispering stories of her childhood to.  
Yes, Fang was a friend, someone she could finally let into her inner circle. She doubted she had told anyone as much about herself since Claire died.

And she had green eyes.

A figure moved in the distance, blurred by the rain. The solider instinctively tensed, hand moving to her gun blade.

As the figure moved closer, a familiar blue sari came into view, the form taking shape of the woman that had just been on her mind. Fang was carrying something on her shoulders that looked a tad heavy, even for the well-built huntress. Light was almost tempted to go out and help her with the burden.

Almost. It was still pouring down rain, and she did not relish getting wet.

Finally, Fang found her way to the mouth of their group shelter, and proceeded to dump her burden on the ground.

The musky smell of wet fur alerted the Cocoon native to the fact that it was in fact, a gorgonopsid hide. Nose wrinkling in disgust, she cast the Pulsian a look that clearly stated _"Get that damn thing out of here…now."_

She received only a smirk in return as Fang all but threw herself into a sitting position, sighing with relief. That thing must have been heavier than she thought.

Lightning studied her companion closely for a second, sensing that something was off. There was a red spot on her left cheek, already darkening into a bruise. A few cuts and scrapes adorned her arms; such was the penalty of being a sentinel. Her eyes falling lower, she noticed a tear in the blue fabric, just slightly above the right thigh. Upon closer inspection, she saw a makeshift bandage wrapped underneath the rip.

Going into autopilot, she moved closer to Fang, hands already lifting the blue garb to get a look at the obvious wound. The brunette startled at the sudden proximity and invasion of her clothing. She swatted the pale hand away before shifting into a position that would hide the gash. It really was nothing; she'd certainly had worse before.

Lightning grabbed her leg to keep her still and looked into her eyes. She was all seriousness now, smoothly transitioning into her role as a medic. Light maintained both physical and visual contact until she felt the tanned woman finally start to relax. She took it as all the permission she needed to continue.

Gently so as not to aggravate any other possible wounds, she slid the sari up a tan thigh to inspect the bandage. Blood had soaked through, already starting to stain the garb.

Soft fingers undid the wrapping, peeling it away from the skin. Three long gashes marred the tissue underneath, and Light frowned. Apparently, the gorgon had not gone quietly.

A soft blue light filled the cavern as the medic slowly ran her hand over the wound, watching the flesh knit back together. It still amazed her, the magic of a l'cie. So enthralled with the miracle, she absently ran her fingers back over the now smooth flesh, hardly noticing the shiver that ran through her patient.

She repeated the process on both arms, and moved on to Fang's face.

Forest green met electric blue, and for a brief moment, Lightning thought her heart stopped beating. The same eyes she always dreamed of as a child were boring right into her own. The eyes of her dream husband were now being sported by a Pulsian huntress from five hundred years past.

She had seen the eyes before, yes. But never from this close proximity. It was like looking into the forests of Gran Pulse itself. It was a green so vibrant and intense; Lightning felt that this was the first time actually seeing the color in its purest form.

Not breaking eye contact, she brought up her hand and let it hover over the forming bruise. Warm healing energy flowed into the contusion, removing the darkness from her skin. Fang found herself leaning into the warmth, eventually resting her cheek against the soldier's palm.

Even after the healing had ended, neither moved. In fact, the pair seemed to be moving closer to one another.

Faces almost touching now, time seemed to stop. Nothing mattered more than this moment, right here, right now.  
Eyes closed in anticipation of what would come next.

And then Snow woke up.

Or so it seemed for half a heartbeat. He let out a magnificent snort, putting even his snores to shame, as he shifted in his sleep. He muttered something about 'chocobos in my boxers' before finally settling back into an easy slumber.

Both women let out the breaths they held. Looking back at each other, Light realized sadly, that the moment had passed.  
Moving back into a sitting position, she chanced a look back at Fang.

"You tell those chocobos, ya big lug."

One glance and they both began sniggering at the ridiculousness of what just happened.

Catching her breath, Fang leaned back onto the cave wall, remarkably more comfortable now that she was healed. Smirk on her face and eyes to the ground, she finally broke the silence.

"Go ahead and get some shuteye. I got this watch Sunshine."

Surprisingly, Light nodded her head and settled back onto the floor of their shelter. Even with Snow's snoring, she knew she would be out in no time. She had the utmost trust in the woman watching over her, and was eager for her dreams.

For the first time in years, Lightning Farron dreamt of her own personal paradise. It was a wild and untamed wilderness, filled with lush wildlife, with a green-eyed huntress at her side.


	9. Everything Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything Changes - Staind

If Fang had truly chosen to walk out of their relationship right that second, Lightning didn't know if she could hold it against her. She wouldn't have anything to argue against the action, and doubted that even if she did, that it would make a difference.

Light knew she wasn't the easiest person to be with. She was stubborn, hard-headed, foul tempered, and if she were completely honest with herself, a more than a bit socially awkward. More than once, she found herself wishing to cram her foot into her mouth to stop the spew of ill-timed comments.

That Fang had stuck around this long was a testament of just how deeply she cared for the soldier.

The fact was, Fang loved Lightning. And she made sure the other woman knew it.  
And it was this irrefutable fact that terrified the sergeant.

So what did she do when she was scared? What any creature backed into a corner would do: lash out. And Fang was often on the receiving end of these lashings.

Every time an outburst would occur, it always went the same way: Lightning would find something she didn't like. She would then proceed to blow it out of proportion. Fang would attempt to help her cool down. Fang would then be dragged into an argument about their relationship that had started over nothing. Lightning would then say something she instantly regretted and Fang would give her a pained look before calmly going out the front door.

"I'll be back in a few hours, _after_ you've cooled off."

Hours later, when Lighting did cool off, she would find her way back the bed she shared with her Pulsian lover and cling to her pillow. The cool cotton was a poor substitute for tan warmth, but it would have to suffice. Then, just when Light would be convinced she had gone too far this time, that Fang wasn't coming back, she would hear the door creak open. Familiar weight would settle behind her, and toned arms would wrap around her. Apologies would be whispered, and kisses would be shared. Both women would fall asleep, swearing this would never happen again.

For a time, it wouldn't. Sometimes they could go for months at a time without these spats. Other times, only a few days. But Fang would always come back.

And the cycle would begin anew.

Things had been going so well between them. For almost a year now, they had been the spitting image of a happy couple. They even had a routine: Go to work, come home, have dinner, watch tv for an hour or so, have mind-blowing sex, then drift off into sleep. It was structured, solid, complacent.

That complacency started to scare Lightning. It scared her that she could get so comfortable around a single person, even after the years they spent together.

And what did Lightning do when she got scared? She lashed out…again.

This shouldn't have been an issue. However, Light had already acknowledged her fear, and doing so made her do stupid things. Stupid things, such as pick a fight with a certain raven-haired Pulsian.

"Ya now, if you wanted to do somethin' different, all ya had to do was say something. No need to go off on me."

Light tried to go with dignified silence for her answer. She only appeared to be pouting instead.

"Fine, if ya don't want to talk about it like a civilized adult now, we can do it later." Fang was already walking to the front door, coat in hand.

The familiarity of the situation only served to push the soldier deeper into her anger.

"Leave then! It’s all you ever do, all you're really good at!"

As soon as the words left her lips, she started reeling for a way to take them back. Her partner stopped and looked back at her; pain evident in her eyes.

Dear Etro, why hadn't anyone perfected the time machine yet?

"One day Light. One day, when I leave, I won't be coming back." Green eyes shone with tears she refused to let fall in front of the strawberry-blond.

Before said woman could begin to formulate a response, Fang was out the door, softly closing it behind her.

It would have hurt less if she had slammed it.

Five hours later, and it was nearing midnight. Lightning had to resist the urge to hit redial once more, to call Fang again. She wouldn't answer, just like she hadn't the past twelve times Light tried to get a hold of her. If nothing else, she could listen to the accented speech about how 'she wasn't available right now, but you should leave a message and she would get back to her when she felt like it.'

Instead, she called Vanille.

"…ello?"

"Vanille! Is Fang there? Have you seen her? Please tell her to call me!" the words jumbled together, confusing the red-head's already sleep addled mind.

"Wha…? Lightning? Is that you?"

Lightning had to take breath to calm herself and keep from reaching through the phone to shake the poor girl awake. "Yes, it's me. Have you heard fro-?"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS? Everyone in their right minds should be asleep right now!" The strained breathing on the other end alerted her to the fact, that Light was not, in fact, in her right mind right now. If Light was near tears, and calling her of all people, something major had happened between her and Fang.

The thought was more sobering than a cup of black coffee.

"Light, honey? Is everything alright? Did something happen between you guys?"

"I messed up big this time Vanille. She's been gone for hours, she isn't answering her phone. What if something happened? She could be hurt and it's entirely my fault!"

It took nearly an hour to get the sergeant calmed down, and another half to convince her to just stay put and wait. Fang was a big girl after all; she could take care of herself.

"She'll be back before ya know it Light. She always is." Lightning still hadn't told her Fang's parting words. This might be the one-time Fang couldn't forgive her.

Fifteen minutes later, the call ended and Light dragged her way to the bedroom she shared with Fang. That they might not be sharing it anymore was heartbreaking. Without even bothering to take off her boots, let alone change into her bed clothes, she collapsed on the bed. Hands quickly found the pillow from her lover's half, clinging to the object for dear life. It still smelled like her, always would. Pine needles and wood smoke. To the Cocoon born sergeant, it was the most intoxicating scent in the world.

Finally, exhausted in every way possible, she fell into an uneasy sleep.

She dreamed of the bedroom door creaking open the way it always did after a fight. So real was the trance, that she even felt a familiar weight settle behind her, felt toned arms wrap around her.

Unable to take it anymore, she wrenched herself out of her sleep, only for any planned movements to be halted by a pair of tan arms firmly wrapped around her midsection.

"Fang?"

"I'm here Light." the lilting voice sent shivers down her spine, the breath on her neck equally stimulating.

"But you said one day-"

"Yeah, but that day doesn't have to be today, or tomorrow, or even next year."

Unable to keep her back to her, Light turned to face her lover. If she were going to apologize, she wanted to do it face to face. Fang had to be able to see her sincerity.

"Fang, I am so-" she was cut off by warm lips.

"Shhhhh. You're sorry. I'm sorry. We're both sorry. That's all we need right now, right?"

The soldier could only nod. They both knew they messed up in their own ways. They both knew neither one meant it. And above all, they both knew that they still loved one another. Foot-in-mouth moments included.

That was all they needed.

Nothing they said could change the way they felt.


	10. Last Friday Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) - Katy Perry

Sunlight was the definite enemy this morning, if her pounding head could be believed.

Birds were singing outside her window. She wanted to shoot them.

In fact, all Lightning wanted to do was cradle her head in her pillow and sleep off this behemoth of a hangover. She was quite set on doing just that when movement on the other side of the bed alerted her to the fact that she was not alone.

Blue eyes shot open. Who the hell was in her bed? How did they get there? Did anything happen between them? What the hell happened last night?

She wasn't sure she really wanted to know. Against her better judgment, she chanced a look to the side. The sight of dark, wild hair greeted Lightning's gaze. Still unsure, she glanced down, eyes meeting a large tribal tattoo.

Fang. Light was unsure of whether she should be relieved it was someone she knew, or if she should be mortified that Fang was currently occupying her bed. As often as she had fantasized about this happening, she hoped it would be under different circumstances, particularly regarding her pounding head.

Then she realized a very important fact. This was not her bed. Her bed had crisp, white, cotton linens. These were neither crisp, nor white, nor cotton. No, the sheets she was currently residing on consisted of soft, black silk. The pillow she had previously shoved her face into held a familiar scent of pine needles and wood smoke. This could only mean one thing.

Lightning had spent the night, in Fang's bed, with Fang herself. Doing Etro only knows what. The thought caused a jolt to go through the pinkette. Blue eyes quickly brushed over the tan figure next to her.

The lack of a bed shirt at first startled the soldier, before she remembered that her roommate always slept in the nude. That was just the way it worked. The hammering in her heart slowed a bit, just enough to give her the courage to check her own state of dress. Or rather, undress in this particular case.

The hammering in her heart picked up a tempo that would have had a woodpecker jealous.

Gone was her tee from the previous night, and her jeans were nowhere to be found on her person. This was not going well.

Suddenly aware of the feeling of the silk on her skin, and the position she found herself in, Lightning did the only thing she could think of.

She scrambled out of the bed and flew out of the room like her namesake, lack of proper attire and all.

A flash of pink streaked down the hallway, eager to make it to her own room, almost tripping on a blue-haired youth in the process. When she made it safely to the sanctuary of her room, the door was closed as quietly as possible, and the woman pressed her back to it, as if trying to keep out an unwanted boogieman.

Thoughts swirled in her head, and she was unable to think straight. Sure, she had wanted this scenario to unfold for the past few years, but did Fang feel the same way? Had anything even happened? If so, did both parties desire it, or was it just the obviously large amount of booze acting?

Once her heart slowed to a reasonable tempo, she made her way over to the dresser, intent on getting dressed and leaving the house as quickly as possible. She needed to think.

All progress was halted when she looked into the mirror. She stared intently at the multitude of bruises scattered about her neck and chest. Mouth sized bruises. Was that a bite mark? This certainly answered her question as to whether or not anything happened.

Flashes of the previous night came back to her. Flowing drinks, loud music, flashing lights, deft hands, and warm lips. It was all a confusing jumble in her mind. She had to leave. _Now._

Marks covered, hair brushed, and now fully clothed, Lightning bravely stood in her living room and confronted the wreck that was the house she shared with her sister and two Oerbans.

Numerous balloons were scattered about the room, streamers hung from places she never knew existed, and glitter clung to every surface. Every surface, including the four people scattered about the floor. She only recognized two of them.

The ceiling fan was now outside in the back yard, where plastic flamingos ran rampant, and the kitchen table had collapsed from, if the footprints could be trusted, dancing.

There was no way to even begin counting the liquor bottles dispersed about the house. The plastic shot glasses with large 25's emblazoned on the sides were equally as numerous, if not more so.

Lightning was not equipped to handle this sort of situation. She could talk a jumper down from a building, could shoot a hostage taker between the eyes at two hundred yards, and interrogate a murder suspect on no sleep and black coffee. But in no way could she handle the aftermath of her roommate and crush of two years twenty-fifth birthday.

She could not deal with this, not immediately after her early morning shock. Mainly because, she wasn't completely sure there was anything to deal with. The last thing she remembered was sitting in the kitchen with Fang, Serah, and Vanille celebrating Fang's twenty-fifth birthday with a round of drinks and a small cake.

For the life of her, Light could not figure out how that little party had escalated into this…. mess.

Her stomach began to churn at the thought. Stumbling over to the fridge, she pulled out a ginger ale. In truth, she hated the stuff, but Vanille claimed it did wonders for hangovers.

Unable to look at the wreck of what had once been a clean, well-kept home, she made her way to the back yard. The damage was astounding.

Not only were there dozens of plastic flamingos scattered about the lawn, but even more balloons and steamers floated in the pool. Smelling burnt plastic, she made her way to the grill. Opening the lid, she discovered the remains of…she was not even sure what it was. The lid promptly shut, and the rest of her can was quickly downed.

Nothing good came from this party, of that she was sure.

There was nothing that could have mortified her more than if Serah had told her she was marrying the Primarch and moving to Boca.

Or so she once believed.

However, that was before her lieutenant called her in regards to certain video footage making its rounds on the net. Certain footage of four women in various stages of undress running through Eden Park. It certainly explained her lack of clothes from this morning.

The sergeant was dazed beyond speech, and this was a problem, as her commanding officer was still on the other line.

"It seems you may need a little recoup time after that party sergeant. Call me tomorrow." With that, Amodar disconnected the call and sat back. So, it would seem the woman could relax and have fun when given the proper amount of alcohol. Re-watching the video, Amodar guessed it took a lot.

Com device still held to her ear, Light could only stare at the screen in horror. The four women in question were Vanille, Fang, Lebreau, and herself. She had no idea as to when the dark-haired bartender joined them. There was no time stamp on the vid.

Eyes still glued to the screen, she hardly registered the redhead making her way about the kitchen. Vanille made her way to the dazed pinkette, ginger ale in hand, before plopping down next to her. The footage replayed, and all the Oerban could think was: 'Damn, we really are photogenic.'

"So, last night was a blast huh?"  
Lighting slowly turned to face her new companion, panic evident. "My boss saw this."  
"Well…at least he can now say he's seen an entirely new side of you!" she finished cheerfully.  
"I never needed him to see _that_ side of me!" replied the sergeant, in reference to her bare backside. "I'm going to go crawl into a hole and die now."

"Aw, come on Light! You should be in a great mood after last night."

"I DON'T REMEMBER LAST NIGHT!"

"Oh, well…that would be a bit of a downer." the young Oerban perked up. "Well, good luck with that!" she called, already skipping out of the room. Light was too dazed to even bother chasing after her, and so resigned herself to regretting everything that may or may not have happened.

The afternoon breeze was not enough to blow away the haze surrounding the haze of last night's events, as she had hoped. However, her walk in the park proved to be rather enlightening, as she learned the trail of the group's streaking route.

All she had to do was follow the line of scattered clothes. All the way down to the pond located in the center of Eden Park.

A black lace bra hung from one of trees surrounding the water’s edge. It looked suspiciously like the one Light had been wearing the night before. Moreover, she could have sworn the blue panties stuck to the reeds belonged to a certain dark-haired Pulsian.

Light could only pray what she thought happened, didn't happen. Footprints in the mud crushed any hope she might have held onto as her imagination ran rampant. The thoughts, while pleasant, did not detract from the fact that she was still drawing a blank as to how it came to this point.

Making her way back to the trashed house, Lightning's thoughts ran a mile a minute. She really didn't want to know how so many people ended up there, nor how she didn't find any noise citations on her front door. She wanted to let the facts of how so much glitter ended up in her home remain a mystery. What she needed to concentrate on, as loath as she was to do so, was confronting Fang about their rather compromising situation.

Hopefully, she would be able to remember last night, since Vanille had proved such a wealth of information.

Walking through the front door, she was greeted to the sight of Serah barking orders to several strangers, organizing the cleanup of their group abode. The fact that Lightning didn't recognize any of these people didn't bother her half as much as seeing her little sister looking so comfortable ordering around men three times her size.

The thought sent shivers down her spine, and not the good kind.

Careful so as not to attract her sister's wrath upon herself, she picked her way through the crowd to the stairs.

Fang's room would just be a left turn at the top, and five short strides down the hall. She was going to knock on the door, look into green eyes, and demand an explanation. She was Lightning Farron, sergeant of the Bodhum Guardian Corps. She could do this.  
Reaching the stairs apex, she took a right and found the bathroom instead.  
She could do this after a shower.

Pansy.

As hot water splashed over porcelain skin, brief glimpses of events started coming back to her.

_Lebreau coming over with unmarked liquor. The taste of watermelon and mint. The warm summer breeze on her flushed body. The feeling of dark skin meeting her own._

Despite the temperature of the water, Lightning felt herself starting to shiver, and quickly turned the nozzle to cold. She had to focus.  
Nevertheless, no matter how hard she concentrated, she could not bring back the memories. Now she had no choice but to confront the Oerban.

She hardened her resolve, and was at the intended door before her hair dried.

After three brisk knocks, movement could be heard in the room. A loud thud and s few well thought out curses later, the door opened to reveal a hastily dressed Fang.

The late afternoon sun poured through the window, illuminating the woman from behind. There was only one word to describe the woman in disheveled clothes and wild hair.

Stunning.

Grabbing Light by the hands, she pulled her into the room before tackling the shocked pinkette to the bed. Warm breath drifted into her ear, causing her mind to go blank.

"Missed ya this morning." Warm lips fastened themselves to a mark left the previous night.

Her question of whether this was alcohol induced or intentional was also answered.

Apparently, something good came from that mess downstairs.

At that moment, all the important questions had been answered, and Lightning could care less about what had happened downstairs. Gone were her concerns about the vid making its rounds on the net, the plastic flamingos and glitter, and even those about how she ended up in this bed the night before. Gone was the desire to restore her lost memories.

Careful so as not to disturb the tanned woman's ministrations, Lightning reached into her pocket, and pulled out something she had picked up in the park.  
Pulling back from the bliss, she dangled blue silk in front of her attacker's wide eyes.

"You forgot these last night."

Green eyes darkened, and a smirk fastened itself to Light's face. All that mattered now was making a completely new set of memories.


End file.
